Before I Was Lukas
by TheHonoraryAmerican
Summary: "Before I was Lukas... I was Henry". Based on "The Disappearance of Madeleine McCann"
1. -Part One-

**A/N: This story is based on the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. Her case has stuck with me for many years, and after seeing the Netflix documentary, I have a lot of things related to it that I need to process. This is how I'm going to do it.**

**This story, in it's later chapters, is going to contain triggering content. I will ensure that I attach trigger warnings to the chapters in question so they can be avoided if one wishes. **

**I have also broken it into two parts, with each part having multiple chapters. There will be another AN prior to Part Two, signalling the change in sections and also aiding to help break the chapters apart in the chapter list.**

**Thank you! I hope you enjoy this story!**

* * *

**PART ONE**


	2. La Cala de Mijas

**-PART ONE-  
~La Cala de Mijas~**

Warm sunshine beat down on Jennifer Jareau's legs as she sat by the pool watching her husband and son play. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and every guest at the Los Amigos Beach Club was out soaking up every second of it, as was evident by the amount of people playing in and around the water.

"Daddy! Daddy, catch me!" came the excited voice of her oldest boy, Henry. She looked up towards the pool, spotting her little mini-me standing fearlessly at the edge of the water, his knees bent and his bottom sticking out as he gathered up all his might to jump in. Her husband, Will, was waiting in the water, his hands held out ready to catch his exuberant little boy, a happy smile on his face.

With the biggest jump he could muster, followed by the cutest little splash, Henry leapt into Will's arms, giggling as he surfaced from beneath the water. JJ watched, smiling as Will lifted Henry up onto his hip and began wading through the water, gently splashing Henry as he went. Her heart swelled with love; she loved watching Will with his boys. He was such an attentive, doting dad, and she knew Henry and his little brother Michael were very lucky little boys to have him in their lives.

Looking down into her arms, her smile softened as her eyes met the drowsy little face of six month old Michael. He was on her breast, still feeding ever so slightly as he fought off an afternoon nap just that little bit longer. One of his hands was resting on top of her breast, patting against her skin every now and then as his little eyes began to drift closed.

"It's a hard life being a baby, isn't it buddy?" she chuckled, stroking the fine hair on top of his head as she shifted against the recliner. "Really getting into this afternoon siesta thing"

Michael grunted, kicking his legs in agreement as he finally lost the battle with sleep and let his eyes close. JJ chuckled, waiting for a minute until his latch had loosened, before shifting him in her arms and pulling her swim top back up.

The last couple of years of their lives had been hell. After deciding when Henry was one that they wanted another baby, their happiness at falling pregnant so quickly had been cut short by JJ losing the pregnancy at eleven weeks. Devastated, it had taken time for them to feel ready to try again, and then it had taken even longer than that for JJ to finally get pregnant. Anxiety had followed her throughout the pregnancy, having her convinced that something bad was going to happen. But here they were, with their healthy, happy baby boy Michael. To reward themselves for the stress they had been through, they had decided a family holiday was in order. And so it was that now, they were sunning it up in La Cala de Mijas, a resort destination just outside of Malaga, in the south of Spain.

"Mommy"

The little whisper to her left broke her from her thoughts. Turning her head, she found Henry leaning on the edge of her sun lounge, smiling up at her as he reached out to pat his brother's head.

"He sleepin'?" Will asked, sitting down on the end of the lounge and pulling Henry into his lap. Henry kept stretching out, his chubby little fingers grasping for his brother.

"Yeah. Out like a light. Milk drunk," JJ chuckled. Will grinned, holding on as Henry tried to fight his way out of his arms with a big grunt.

"Daddy, I hug Michael!"

"Not right now buddy," Will laughed. "Michael's sleepin'! And you're all wet! Like a fish. Are you a fish?"

"No silly," Henry giggled, bringing a smile to JJ's face. "I'm a boy!"

Laughing, Will tickled Henry's belly, before pressing a kiss to the top of Henry's head. Almost immediately, Henry yawned widely, bringing his hand up to rub his eyes.

"I think someone is all worn out from the pool. What do you say to a nap little man?" Will asked, cuddling Henry closer.

"No," Henry grumbled, trying to prove he was awake, but failing when another yawn snuck up on him.

"We can go swimming again later. Maybe at the beach," JJ said gently. "But how about we all go and have a little sleep first. Otherwise you'll be too tired to play"

Still rubbing his eyes, Henry nodded, allowing Will to wrap him in a towel and pick him up. JJ quickly gathered all of their belongings back into the tote bag she'd brought from the apartment, cradling Michael against her chest and slinging the bag over her shoulder as she stood up and began to walk beside Will.

It was only a short walk back to their apartment, which was on the ground floor of the complex on the far side of the pool. Shivering a little as they entered the air-conditioned space, they easily went about getting the boys into bed. Henry showed no protest, and before long, both boys were sound asleep for a much needed afternoon nap.

"Ugh… next time, you can get Henry out of his swimsuit. It's like trying to pull off a second skin," Will chuckled as he came into the kitchen, now dried and dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. JJ smiled, sliding a hand up around his neck as he came to stand in front of her. His hands came to rest on her waist as he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her lips. It wasn't exceedingly passionate, but it still sparked something within JJ that made her pull him closer.

"You know… we've probably got a solid hour before the boys wake up," she breathed against his skin as they broke apart.

"I like the way you think," Will whispered, before lifting her up to sit on the counter and bringing his lips crashing back against hers. She brought her fingers up into his hair, tangling them through his dampened waves and holding tight as she locked her legs around his waist. It had been a while since they had been able to find the time for each other, so it wasn't taking much to put them in the mood.

One of his hands came to her breast, palming it roughly. Her breasts were still sensitive from breastfeeding, and she let out a low groan as she tipped her head back. Will's lips came to her neck, working on the sweet spot underneath her jaw that always got her hot and ready.

"Gotta be quiet babe," he whispered against her skin, sliding two fingers underneath the fabric of her bikini bottoms. She bit her lip, looking back at him as she brought her hands to the button of his shorts. With almost expert ability, she undid the button and zipper in record time and slipped her hand inside, finding him almost completely hard and aching for her touch.

"Someone's excited," she giggled, kissing him deeply again as she began to gently stroke him up and down. Will let out a long breath, closing his eyes and clutching JJ even closer, bucking into her hand when she ran her thumb over his tip.

"Oh jeez… JJ," he gasped.

"What do you want to do?" JJ breathed.

"I want to be inside you," Will said softly through interrupted breathing. "God, I feel like a horny teenager"

JJ laughed quietly, patting his cheek before pressing a kiss to his lips. "Don't forget the condom then"

"Shit," Will hissed, pulling away and looking around the room. "Hang on"

"Why don't you have one on you at all times?" JJ teased as he hurried towards their room.

"I'm sorry I didn't immediately put one in my shorts when I was getting changed ten minutes ago," Will called over his shoulder, making her laugh again.

Minutes later, he was back, a square foil packet clutched triumphantly in his hand. JJ immediately pushed his shorts down, pulling him a little closer as he rolled the condom on. Once it was on, he brought his hands to the waistband of JJ's bikini bottoms, tugging them down her toned legs before pulling her close.

"You're so beautiful," he breathed, gently stroking between her legs to make sure she was ready for him. Moments later, he lined up at her entrance and slowly pushed into her, making her mouth fall open in a silent gasp. She clutched at him, pulling him as close as possible as he set up a gentle rhythm, his hips rocking against her pelvis.

They were focused on staying silent, not wanting to wake the boys. It was probably just moments later, but felt like an eternity, when the orgasm washed over them, both of them stifling their groans as they came. Will brought a hand to the back of her head, resting his forehead against hers as they caught their breath.

"I love you," he said softly, sliding his hand around to cup her cheek. She flicked her eyes up towards him, the bright blue shining from beneath her lashes. Tipping her face up, she pressed a sweet kiss to his lips, lingering for a few seconds more.

"I'm so glad we're here," she said softly, pushing his still wet hair back from his face. "Not here as in Spain, but… here. Together. After everything we've been through"

Will smiled, pulling back slightly so they were no longer joined. He leaned in, kissing her forehead lovingly as his thumb stroked her cheek.

"It's been a lot," he replied. "But we're ok. We've got our two beautiful boys… we have each other… we have a lot to be grateful for"

Smiling, JJ pecked his lips again, before reaching beside her for the bikini bottoms Will had pulled off her. "I wish this holiday could last forever"

"We could make a lasting souvenir," Will teased, waggling his eyebrows. JJ laughed, swatting his shoulder as she slipped off the bench.

"Nice try, but I'm not having two kids within a year of each other," she chuckled. "Come on. We'll wake the boys if we keep like this"

Making themselves decent again, they walked hand in hand to the patio door. Sliding it open, they stepped into the Spanish sun, leaving the door ajar to listen out for their boys as they took up a seat on the outdoor sofa that overlooked the pool area. The sounds of children squealing and playing floated to their ears.

They were happy. After everything they had been through to get Michael, everything their jobs had put them through… their little family was happy, healthy, and intact.


	3. Nightmare

**~Nightmare~**

"Mommy, one more kiss, one more hug!"

Henry's little whisper cut through the darkness as JJ finished settling Michael down in his crib. She looked over her shoulder, seeing Henry smiling cheekily up at her from his bed. Breaking into a grin, she carefully pulled away from Michael's crib so as not to wake him, before sitting on the edge of Henry's bed. After more swimming and an early dinner, she knew Henry was exhausted, but he was also exuberant from being on holiday, and the last couple of nights, getting him to go to bed had been a mission.

"Time to go to sleep little man," she said softly, leaning down and pressing a loving kiss to his forehead. Henry giggled, lifting his little arms and wrapping them around his mom's neck. Her heart swelling with love, JJ wrapped her arms around his little body, giving him a warm cuddle as he pressed a kiss of his own to her cheek. JJ smiled, pulling back and tugging the covers up to his shoulders as he wriggled further beneath them.

"Mommy, we go swimming in the morning?"

JJ smiled, stroking the top of his head and nodding. "Of course buddy. But first, you have to go to sleep. Ok? You've had a big day"

"Ok," Henry whispered, closing his eyes tightly. JJ chuckled, placing his teddy bear beneath the covers with him as she stood up from the bed.

"I love you Henry," she said softly as she began to walk to the door.

"Love you Mommy," Henry replied sweetly. Smiling, JJ glanced over to the window, checking once more that the shutters were closed, before pulling the door closed behind her until it was just resting on the frame.

Letting out a breath, she turned and checked that the front door was firmly locked. They had only used that door once upon arriving in Spain, when they had first been shown to their apartment, but out of habit, JJ had still checked it every night after they had put the boys to bed.

Walking silently through the dining and lounge area, JJ slipped out onto the patio where Will was waiting with two glasses of wine.

"They go down ok?" he asked as she slid the door half closed so they could still hear if either of the boys woke up.

"Yeah," JJ sighed, dropping down beside him on the couch and leaning into his side. "Michael didn't eat much, so he'll probably be up again in the next couple of hours wanting to be fed"

"It's probably just the change in climate and time-zone. He'll be alright in a couple of days," Will replies, draping an arm around JJ's shoulders and giving her a little squeeze. JJ sat forward, taking her glass of wine from the table and leaning back into Will's side as she took a sip.

"Oh, that hits the spot," she said softly, making Will chuckle as he sipped his own.

JJ's phone buzzed where she had left it on the table. Leaning forward again, she switched it out with her glass of wine, opening it up to find a message from Emily.

_The Facebook photos are killing me. I hate you just a little bit, Spain looks gorgeous. Hope you guys are having the best time, you deserve to relax a little. Also Henry looked adorable in his new swimmers!_

Smiling, JJ tapped out a quick reply.

_Thanks Em, we're having a great time. Haven't really left the resort much, but sitting by the pool all day certainly isn't a bad way to spend the time. Hoping to get down to the beach tomorrow, but if you know of anything else we should do while we're here, let me know!_

"That Emily?" Will asked, watching as she set her phone down again.

"Yeah. She's jealous," JJ laughed. Will grinned, shaking his head as JJ snuggled up beside him again.

They sat in comfortable silence for some time, listening as the breeze rustled through the leaves in the trees. There were still a few people hanging around the pool area, and even more were dining at the poolside restaurant on the opposite side of the complex. There was a low hum of conversation and laughter that hung around the resort, making them feel relaxed and content as they sat there.

"Maybe we should both quit our jobs. Move here and live the good life," JJ said softly. Will chuckled.

"And what, Jennifer Jareau, would you do with yourself without serial killers to chase?"

"I'm sure Spain has serial killers"

Will laughed. "You certainly know how to make a guy relax on holiday"

"I try my hardest," JJ said with a grin, tipping her face up towards Will's and allowing him to peck her on the lips.

"You couldn't quit your job," Will murmured as he pulled back. "You'd go nuts"

"Maybe I already am… I mean, how many mothers with two kids under four make a living out of chasing psychos?"

"Probably just you," Will chuckled. "But it's ok. You married a guy who totally gets it"

They stayed like that, cuddled together, working their way through the glasses of wine as they talked softly about the past, the present, and the future.

It was nearly an hour later when they heard Henry let out a little cry from the bedroom, snapping them back to reality.

"I'll check on him," Will said softly, pulling himself up. "Probably bad dreams. Or his teddy fell out of bed"

JJ laughed, swatting at his butt as he stepped over her legs and headed inside.

When he walked into the kids' room, he found Henry curled up on his bed, his lower lip out in an impressive pout as his little eyes shone with tears.

"What's the matter buddy?" Will asked gently, kneeling down at the edge of his son's bed.

"There was… a man. Trying to get me," Henry said tearfully.

"Oh hey now, it's alright," Will said gently, brushing Henry's hair back. "You just had a bad dream. Mommy and I let you have too much sugar before bed, hey?"

Henry let out a watery little giggle, nodding as Will stood up and tucked him back in.

"It's alright Henry. You're safe. Mommy and I are right outside," he said softly, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"Yeah," Henry whispered. "Daddy, cuddle?"

Will smiled, leaning down and wrapping his little boy in a warm hug.

"Ohhh, I love you Henry"

Henry giggled softly, his tears mostly dried. "Love you Daddy"

"Try and get to sleep, ok? Otherwise we won't be able to go swimming," Will said quietly. Henry's eyes widened, and then he immediately closed them, making Will laugh.

"Goodnight little man"

"Night Daddy"

After checking on Michael again, finding the baby sleeping peacefully in his little starfish position he had come to favour, Will walked back outside to where JJ was waiting for him.

"He ok?" she asked as soon as he stepped outside.

"Yeah, he's fine," Will said softly. "Just a little bad dream. He's going back to sleep now"

JJ smiled as Will sank back down beside her, leaning back into his embrace as a warm summer breeze blew across the patio.

"You look so happy here," he said as he held her close, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. "So relaxed"

"I feel relaxed," JJ said simply, closing her eyes for just a moment and letting out a little giggle as his stubble tickled her jaw.

Rather than continuing to talk, they simply enjoyed each other's company, reveling in the serenity and relaxation that being so far away from home offered.

It was nearly 9:30 when another couple came walking along the terrace, chatting easily between themselves. As Will made to stand up and stretch out his back after being seated for over an hour, the man noticed them, and smiled.

"Evening," he said in a thick Scottish accent. "Lovely night, isn't it?"

"Very," Will replied.

"This is our first night here, how about you guys?"

"Fourth," Will said warmly, leaning against the pillar at the top of the steps. "It's been pretty great so far, can't complain about this kind of weather"

"Tell me about it. We're from Scotland, and it's rained almost every day this year when it wasn't snowing," the man chuckled. "I'm David, David Whyte, and this is my wife Catherine. We're staying in the apartment next door"

"Nice to meet you," Will said genuinely, making his way down the steps and extending his hand to David. "I'm Will LaMontagne, and this is my wife, JJ"

JJ smiled as she came down to stand beside Will. "Hi"

"How long are you staying in Spain?" David asked.

"Two weeks all up," Will replied. "Then it's back to work, I guess"

"Do you guys have any kids?" Catherine asked warmly.

"Two little boys," JJ replied with a smile. "Henry's nearly four, and Michael's six months"

"Oh sweet, I think we saw you coming back from the pool earlier today as we were checking in," Catherine gushed. "Our kids are all grown now, so we finally get a holiday to ourselves. I know it can be a lot of work with young children, but try and enjoy it all the same"

"It's been ok so far," Will said, sliding his arm around JJ's waist. "They've both been really good"

The summer breeze that had been blowing on and off all night blew a particularly strong gust of wind across where the four adults were standing. Moments later, the faint sound of Michael's cries rang out from the apartment.

"Here, I'll go," Will said quickly.

"It's fine. He's probably hungry," JJ said softly, placing a hand against Will's chest. "I did say so before, didn't I?"

Without another word, she turned and headed up the stone steps to the apartment door, leaving Will standing chatting easily with the two Scots. Sliding it fully open, she left it like that behind her, the breeze following her through the lounge room and to the room where the boys were sleeping.

As she reached the door, she noticed that the door was open wider than she had remembered leaving it. Almost immediately, she remembered that Will had been in after her, and had probably forgotten to close it on his way out. She pushed it open all the way and quickly crossed the darkened room to Michael's cot.

"Hey," she said softly, reaching down to rub the baby's belly. "You're ok buddy"

Spying his pacifier discarded beside him, she picked it up and gently prised it past his little lips. A few moments later, his cries diminished, his little eyes drifting back closed as he sucked happily on the pacifier. JJ waited a minute or so, making sure he really was asleep, before silently turning back towards the door.

It was then that her eyes landed on Henry's bed.

Empty. Covers rumpled at the end of the bed. His soft toy lying on the floor.

Furrowing her brow, she wondered if he was in the bathroom. Quietly, she made her way out of the room and into the little bathroom next door, which she found empty and dark. She checked behind the shower curtain, finding nothing.

"Henry?" she called softly, turning back on herself and re-entering the boys' room. She quickly dropped to her knees, checking under the bed; maybe Henry had had another nightmare and taken refuge under the bed.

When that turned up nothing but dust bunnies, she leapt up, reaching over and wrenching open the closet. Her heart rate seemed to increase tenfold when she found that empty as well.

"Henry?" she called a little louder, leaving the boys' room. As panic began to flood through her, she doubled back, reaching into Michael's cot and lifting the sleeping baby into her arms. Clutching him to her chest as he let out a little whine, she moved faster than she thought possible as she checked the rest of the little apartment. But after a few minutes, it was apparent that Henry wasn't there, and it was all she could do to not scream in panic. She made to turn and go back outside, when something caught her eye through the open door of the boys' bedroom.

The window was wide open. The window that she had shuttered and locked before putting the boys to bed. The shutters were now thrown open, the yellow light from the street lamp filtering in as the curtains waved lazily in the breeze.

"Oh my god," she breathed, physically feeling the colour draining from her face as she headed quickly for the open patio door.

"Will!" she yelled as she flew back through the door and down the steps. "Will, Henry's gone!"

"What?" Will asked as he turned around, clearly not believing what JJ was saying. David and Catherine's faces turned to shock.

"Henry's gone, he's not in his bed, I've checked the whole apartment, he's not there!" JJ cried, her eyes burning with tears. Will immediately leapt into action, pulling away from the terrace gate and running into the apartment. JJ followed him, unable to process everything as she listened to her husband yell for their son. Michael slept on on her shoulder, and she clutched him tightly, wanting something to ground her away from this unfolding nightmare.

Soon two more bodies had joined them. David aided Will in searching the apartment from top to bottom, while Catherine guided JJ back outside to sit on the sofa, fearing that the young woman was going to pass out with Michael clutched in her arms. People from neighbouring apartments, having heard JJ's cries and come to see what the commotion was about, were soon walking the area around the complex, calling Henry's name and shining torches into darkened alleyways.

It felt like an eternity. But when Will re-emerged from the apartment, his face whiter than JJ had ever seen it, she wanted to scream.

"We need to call the police," he said weakly, his voice cracking under strain. "He's not here"


	4. Search

**~Search~**

The alarm had been raised. People from all over the resort were walking the darkened streets, calling Henry's name in accents from all over the world. JJ, frozen with panic and fear, had remained at the apartment with Catherine in case Henry somehow turned up. Will and David had gone off with a group of guys from Canada. He was trying his hardest to be strong, but on the inside, JJ knew he was a wreck.

Their little boy was missing. One of the three people in the world she wanted to protect the most, and she had managed to lose him in a foreign country, where he wouldn't understand what anyone was saying to him. What if he had wandered off and gotten hurt? He was only little… how would he ask for help? He could hardly read, how would he navigate his way back if he _had _gotten lost?

Tears burned her eyes as she thought of her precious baby boy, alone in an unfamiliar place, scared and wanting nothing more than for his parents to sweep him up. All she wanted to do was gather her sweet boy in her arms, kiss him and hug him, promise him that everything would be ok.

Michael began to fuss in her arms, a loud frustrated cry that indicated he really was hungry. It was the tip of the iceberg for JJ, and she immediately burst into tears as she fumbled with her shirt. Her hands shook as she lifted Michael to her breast, tears dripping down her cheeks as he latched on and finally quieted down.

"It's ok, he's only little," Catherine said gently. "He probably woke up and wasn't sure where he was, and he's wandered off. He can't have gone far"

"The front door is locked," JJ said tearfully. "He would've had to come out this way"

Catherine fell silent. Michael broke away from JJ's breast, letting out an angry cry that only served to further tear JJ's heart.

"I know buddy, I'm sorry," she sobbed, working to try and get him settled again. "I'm sorry"

Catherine's hand came to rest on her back. Even though she hardly knew the woman, JJ found the slightest bit of comfort in her presence.

"You've got to try and calm down a little bit, love, I know it's hard, and I know you're scared… but your wee one is picking up on your stress," Catherine said gently, lightly stroking Michael's little hands with her fingers.

Footsteps came clambering up the stone steps, and JJ looked up to find Will and David standing before her. She swallowed hard, trying her best to stem her tears enough to speak.

"You can't find him?" she asked weakly. Will shook his head, his lips clenched together as his face paled even further.

"One of the guys we were with called the police… but that was like half an hour ago, I don't know where they are," David said in frustration. As if by summons, one of the reception staff from the resort came through the gate, making her way up to where the four adults were gathered.

"Someone told me there's a missing child from this apartment," she said in a thick Spanish accent.

"Yeah, what the fuck are you doing about it?" Will spat. "Call the fucking police! Tell them to get here NOW!"

The girl recoiled, her eyes widening as David put a hand on Will's chest to steady him. "Sir, I'm sorry… I'll call them right away. How old is the missing child?"

"He's three," JJ said tearfully. "Please, just call the police, we think someone's taken him"

"Of course, of course," the girl said quickly, retreating down the steps. JJ crumbled, a fresh wave of tears coming as Michael grunted and pulled away from her breast. Through her tears, she switched him to her other side, before reaching out to grab her phone from the table.

"I'm calling Hotch," she said through her tears, looking up at her husband. "I have a bad feeling about this… we need help"

Will swallowed hard, nodding as she unlocked the screen and pulled up the keypad. Catherine got up from the couch, walking over to where David was standing at the top of the stairs. They talked in hushed tones as Will came to sit beside JJ. Pale, and sick to his stomach, Will watched as she dialed in a familiar number and lifted the phone to her ear, hoping beyond hope that their friend would be able to provide them with the help they were going to need.

* * *

It was nearing 6pm in Washington D.C. Aaron Hotchner had sent the majority of his team home for the evening; no cases had come across his desk that required them to fly out, meaning they were on day six of spending the night at home. It was a rare occurrence indeed. As far as he knew, the only BAU member who hadn't left was David Rossi, who he had heard on the phone next door just minutes earlier.

Signing off on a file, he moved it to the completed stack, before taking a moment to recollect his thoughts. His eyes fell on the photo of his son that sat on his desk. He smiled to himself as he remembered Jack asking that very morning whether Henry was home for a play date yet. The LaMontagnes had only been gone four days, and Jack clearly already missed his little friend.

His phone buzzed loudly against the wooden desk, startling him out of the silent reverie he'd been sitting in. He picked it up, frowning when he saw JJ's name on the caller ID.

"I told you to forget about work for at least two weeks," he muttered, shaking his head as he slid his finger across the screen to accept the call.

"JJ, if you're calling to find out what cases-"

"_Hotch, I need your help!"_

Hotch froze. Her voice was full of tears. JJ was an extraordinarily strong woman, and he didn't think he could remember ever hearing her this upset. His mind travelled back to getting the call that Elle had been arrested on holiday. Had something equally awful happened to one of the LaMontagnes?

"JJ?"

"_Someone took Henry!"_

Hotch felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Henry was _three_. JJ was extremely protective of her boys… how had someone managed to slip Henry out from underneath his parents' watchful gaze?

"_We put him to bed, and about half an hour ago Michael started crying. I went in there and after checking on Michael, I realised Henry wasn't there. We've searched the whole apartment, but the window was open, Hotch. I closed it before I put the boys down, and it can only be opened from the inside. Henry couldn't have done it, Hotch… someone took my baby and I don't know what to do!"_

"Has someone called the police? Have you checked the surrounding areas?" Hotch asked quickly, rising from his desk. He rounded it so fast on the way to the door that he knocked his hip against the corner. The pain was like a knife going through his leg, but his heart was now pounding so fast that he barely felt it.

"_Another guest called them but they haven't shown up. Will just asked reception to call them again. I have a bad feeling Hotch! I don't think the police are going to handle this properly!"_

Leaving his office, Hotch walked quickly down to the next door, throwing it open as soon as he reached it, startling Rossi out of the concentrated stance he was in.

"JJ, you need to stay calm. I know you hate hearing that, but getting hysterical isn't going to do Henry any favours right now. Has anyone searched the resort?"

Rossi stared at him in confusion, setting his pen down and pushing his file aside.

"_A bunch of guests are out searching right now… Hotch, I don't know what to do!"_

Hotch could feel his eyes pricking with tears as he listened to JJ sobbing on the other end of the phone. A horrible weight had settled in his gut and his chest felt horrendously tight.

"JJ, do exactly what the police tell you. Give them my contact details and ask them if we can be given any information they have. Give your statements as accurately as you can and answer any questions they have. I'll fill the team in… Emily might have some contacts at Interpol who can help you. Remember, JJ, the first 24 hours are the most crucial, so cooperate with the police and help them as much as you can. Keep me updated, ok? I'll see what I can do from here"

"_Ok… please don't tell the team tonight, I… don't ruin their evening"_

"JJ, Henry's missing. They would fly to Spain on the next flight if I asked them to," Hotch said gently. "It's going to be alright. We're going to figure this out, ok?"

"_Ok"_

"Is Will with you?"

"_He's right next to me"_

"Stay together, JJ. We'll find him"

JJ quickly hung up the call, indicating to Hotch that someone had arrived to speak to her. He stared at his phone for a minute, before looking up at Rossi, who had since gotten up from his desk and crossed the room to stand before his colleague.

"What happened?" Rossi asked in an almost terrified whisper.

Hotch let out a heavy breath, his face paler than ever.

"Henry's been abducted in Spain"

* * *

The receptionist had returned to the patio as JJ ended the call with Hotch. Her eyes were swollen with tears as she clutched her now sleeping baby boy to her chest, Will's arm strong and comforting around her shoulders. Unable to speak or take in any information, JJ had simply turned and buried her face in Will's shoulder, her shoulders shaking with terrified tears as David and Catherine spoke with the resort worker. Will wrapped both of his arms around his wife, tears falling down his own cheeks, their youngest son sleeping between them, protected by their bodies.

The sounds of the night were drowned out by approaching police sirens, and JJ squeezed her eyes shut. The urgency of the situation was starting to sink in, and yet, she couldn't seem to shake the feeling that, as bad as it already was, it was about to get exponentially worse.


	5. Interrogation

**~Interrogation~**

For reasons Will didn't fully understand, by the time the sun was peaking over the horizon the next morning, he and JJ had been carted off to the police station in separate vehicles, Michael still clutched protectively in JJ's arms.

He had caught a glimpse of his wife as he was being dragged towards an interrogation room, the sound of her voice carrying clear above the lilting Spanish tones of the police officers.

"Ma'am, please allow us to take your son, he will be well looked after," one of the male officers was saying to her in a thick accent.

"No! One of my children is missing, you're insane if you think I'm going to pass the other one off to a complete stranger. No, he's staying with me!"

Will found himself being pushed into a grey paneled room, the door closing behind him and the detective, sealing him off from the outside.

"Sit," the officer said firmly. Will dropped himself into a chair, fixing the most intense glare he could muster upon the officer who was now sitting before him.

"Please state your name for the record"

"William LaMontagne Junior," Will said darkly.

"Mr LaMontagne, can you tell me, as best as you can remember… exactly what happened last night?"

Will took a deep breath, swallowing hard against the lump in his throat before he spoke. "We came back from dinner around seven. I gave Henry a bath while JJ fed the baby, and I got him into his pyjamas. I put him into his bed and kissed him goodnight while JJ settled the baby, and then I left the room. I got a bottle of wine and some glasses and I took them outside. JJ joined me a few minutes later, and we just sat out there talking"

Exhaling, Will sat forward. "We heard Henry crying around… it must have been 8:30. I went in to check on him and he said he had had a bad dream… that there was a man trying to get him. I reassured him it was alright, everything was fine. He didn't fight it… he lay back down and went back to sleep. I left the room and went back to my wife"

"How long after that did you realize Henry was missing?"

"It was about an hour later… Michael started to cry, so JJ went in to check on him since he probably needed to be fed… I was talking to a Scottish couple staying in the apartment next door. Minutes later, JJ came out screaming that Henry had disappeared"

Martinez studied him closely, stroking his chin with one hand before clasping them on the table.

"What did you do then?"

"I did what any other parent would have done… I ran into the apartment to check for Henry myself-"

"So you didn't believe your wife when she said he was missing?"

"I didn't want to! Would you?" Will exclaimed. "I was scared and of course I wanted her to be wrong!"

"What did you do after that?"

"We went outside and searched! What would you have done?"

Martinez remained silent, lifting a yellow file up to the top of the table. "When we searched your apartment… we found this, in the trash," he said coolly, pulling a photo from the file and placing it in front of Will. Will stated at it for a moment, before looking up at the detective with raised eyebrows.

"A used condom? Is that not supposed to go in the trash? What am I supposed to do with it, hang it from the shower rail to dry out?" he said sarcastically. Martinez's eyes narrowed.

"It was right at the top of the trash, Mr LaMontagne, indicating to us that it had been thrown out very recently. Did you and your wife have sex after you realised your son was missing?"

"Wha-no! Jesus Christ, if you have to know, we had sex yesterday afternoon while the boys were having an afternoon nap," Will spat, throwing himself back in his chair. "It was at the top of the trash because we went out for dinner, so we didn't have a need to throw anything away in the apartment!"

Martinez studied him carefully, before sitting up a little straighter.

"I don't believe you"

"You are not fucking serious," Will groaned. "What proof do you want? A video? Because that's kinda messed up"

"I think someone had sex in that apartment after realising your son was missing. And I think that makes you and your wife complicit"

"You-"

"You wouldn't be this defensive if you didn't have something to hide," Martinez said calmly.

"I don't have anything to hide!" Will exclaimed through clenched teeth. "Fuck!"

"Are you happy with your wife?"

Will gaped at him. "Seriously? Of course I'm happy with her"

"Neither of you are having an affair?"

"You're out of your mind," Will spat.

"You see, Mr LaMontagne, one of you may have had sex yesterday… but it doesn't mean both of you did. Your behaviour has been very odd. I think one of you is having an affair… and the other did something to the little boy to get back at the one cheating"

"You are fucking insane!" Will yelled, slamming his hands on the table. "There is no way I would hurt my son, and there's no way either of us are having an affair! Take the fucking condom out of the trash and run DNA tests on it! You'll find my DNA, and my wife's, but it's from yesterday afternoon!"

"Did you bring her with you? Do you get a thrill out of having your mistress here while on vacation with your wife?"

"What the f-"

"Or is she Spanish? Did you have sex with a random woman? You need to tell us who she is! We have to interview her as well!"

"There is no her!" Will yelled.

"If it wasn't you, it must have been your wife," Martinez said darkly. "How long was she in the apartment before she came running out?"

"I… a couple of minutes! JJ wouldn't do that!" Will protested. "You've got the complete wrong idea!"

"You need to consider-"

"We didn't hurt our little boy!" Will cried, but moments later, he had slumped over on the table, bursting into devastated tears. "Please… I've told you everything I know. My baby boy is missing… please stop treating me and my wife like suspects, and get out there and find him. Please"

"I don't think your son is missing, Mr LaMontagne. I think you and your wife know exactly where he is. And I am going to get it out of you one way or another"

Xxx

When Hotch walked into the round table room that morning, his team was already waiting. Without a word, he held up a hand to Garcia, indicating he wanted her to wait a moment to present the case. Taking a deep breath, he set his file down in front of his seat, before gripping the back of the chair and leaning against it.

"Before we start work on this case, I need to… share some pretty bad news. I don't want this to distract us from our work, as hard as that is going to be, but I wanted you guys to know before you find out from the news, because I'm positive it's going to be on the news by this evening"

He looked up into the confused stares of his team, exhaling heavily.

"I got a phone call from JJ last night," he started slowly. "Henry has gone missing from the resort where they're staying… JJ has reason to believe someone took him from his bed while she and Will were sitting outside the apartment"

The faces around the table turned to that of horror. Garcia's mouth fell open, her eyes filling with tears.

"I've told JJ to ask if the police can forward any information to me, but so far I haven't heard anything else from anyone"

"Honestly… Spanish police are better than the Portuguese Judiciaria," Emily said weakly. "But I've seen them jump to incorrect conclusions off the bat more times than I'd care to count. And then they refuse to change their stance even when the evidence points in a completely different direction"

Hotch nodded. "It's going to be hard, that much I know. And we are going to do everything in our limited power to help find Henry, but right now, all I can do is work off of any information I get from JJ and Will and hope that the police are doing their best for them. For now, we need to focus on today's case. As I said, I don't want this to distract you… I just didn't want it to be sprung on you because I'm fairly certain this will be all over our news by this evening"

The team nodded somberly, looking back towards Garcia as Hotch rounded the table towards her.

"Garcia, I'll present for you if you like. Throughout our next few cases, I want any time where you have nothing to actively work on for us to be spent on Henry. I know there won't be much. But if you can find anything that might point towards why a little boy was abducted in Spain… it could change this dramatically"

"Ok," Garcia said softly, handing the remote to Hotch and stepping aside, wiping a tear from under her eye.

And so even as they fixated their attention on the next case, the attitude in the room had changed dramatically. In the back of all of their minds was one sweet, fair haired little boy.

xxx

JJ was on the verge of tears. It felt like she had been sitting in the cold little room for hours, having her story picked apart by cops who seemed to want nothing more than to throw her and Will behind bars under false accusations. She had been berated by a constant stream of contradictions to her story, and she was just barely keeping it together.

To top it all off, Michael had started crying, his cry that signaled to JJ he was hungry. But she couldn't think of anything she wanted to do less than breastfeed in this room surrounded by shady male cops.

"Is he hungry?" one of the cops asked in a thick Spanish accent.

"Yes," JJ said in a shaky voice. "Can I be left alone to feed him?"

"No," the cop replied, a hint of a smirk playing on his face.

"Then send in a female detective," JJ said as firmly as she could manage. "Please, all I'm going to do is feed my son, but I'm not comfortable right now"

The cops looked at each other, before the lead shrugged and walked over to the door. Pulling it open, he looked out into the main precinct.

"Garcia!" he called, and somehow, just hearing the name that was shared with one of her closest friends sent a wave of comfort washing over her.

"Sit in here while she feeds the baby," he commanded, before abruptly leading the other two men from the room. They were replaced by a woman who looked a little younger than JJ, with long dark hair and kind eyes. She gave JJ a small smile, pulling down the blind on the door, before walking over to the two way glass and pulling a long canvas blind down over that as well.

Tearfully, JJ pulled up her tank top and the bralette she was wearing. Almost immediately, Michael latched on, sucking hungrily at her breast as she got comfortable in the chair.

"How old is he?" Garcia asked gently.

"Six months," JJ replied, her voice thick with tears.

"I'm sorry for what you are going through"

The gentle proclamation made JJ look up in surprise, even as tears continued to fall down her cheeks. Garcia was looking at her with an expression she hadn't yet seen in the precinct – one of sympathy. She looked genuinely sorry for what JJ was feeling.

"I just want my son," JJ replied weakly, her voice catching in her throat. "He's only three… he'll be so scared"

"We are going to do everything we can," Garcia said gently. "You said you are law enforcement… you understand we have to explore every angle. We have to pull your story apart to see if there are any contradictions"

"I would never hurt my son," JJ said tearfully. "My husband and I adore our boys… we would never do anything to hurt them"

Garcia nodded once, sitting back in her chair.

"We're just trying to do our jobs, Mrs Jareau"

XXX

"Henry!"

The waves crashed against the shore as they walked along the beach, Will yelling Henry's name every ten yards or so. They had been released from interrogation after a hellish half day of being berated by the police. They were still suspects, that much was clear, but there was absolutely no evidence to allow the police to detain them any longer. JJ only hoped that that would eventually work in their favour and force the police to start taking their statements seriously.

Will had snagged a torch off one of the Canadians once they got back to the resort and was using it to check the shrubbery towards the top of the beach. The beam shone hopelessly against foot after foot of bare sand and dry shrubs. Neither of them quite knew what they were looking for, but they couldn't sit idly by. They had to do something.

"Henry!" JJ called out thickly. Michael was asleep against her chest, supported in the baby sling. He'd already become accustomed to the yelling, able to sleep peacefully even with the panic that had surrounded his little family. JJ's eyes stung terribly. She'd cried so much she didn't think she could cry anymore. The salt in the air stung her angry red skin, but as much as it hurt, she just couldn't cry.

Will, who had been a few yards in front, suddenly stopped, his shoulders slumping as the torch shone absently at his side. And then, for the very first time that evening, JJ watched as he finally broke down, the sobs coming with vigorous force. Pulling up beside him, she placed an arm on his shoulders, the lump in her throat increasing in size as she watched him cry.

"The front door was unlocked," he sobbed, sinking to his knees in the sand. JJ slowly sank down beside him, wrapping her arm around him and resting her head on his shoulder. "When I went around to the street to search the front, I realised the front door was unlocked. Someone picked the lock and got in"

A fresh wave of horror washed over JJ. They had been right outside. How had someone managed to take their little boy away when they had been sitting 20 feet away?

"Henry saw them"

Her eyes snapped to his, widening in horror.

"What?"

"When he woke up crying… he said there was a man trying to get him," Will choked out through hysterical tears. "I thought he had just had a bad dream so I told him it was ok, to just go back to sleep. He never pushed it… Jayje, I think whoever took Henry was in the room with me. Henry had already seen them. If he had just told me it wasn't a dream, I would've checked. God… I would've checked"

JJ's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch. Reaching around behind her, she unclipped Michael's carrier, carefully passing him over to Will without a word. Slowly pulling herself to her feet, she walked a little way up the sand towards the shrubs as she tried to process what Will had just said.

The abduction had likely happened nearly an hour before she'd even realised Henry was gone. Which meant her little boy could be anywhere. By the time they had started searching the resort… called the police… Henry and his kidnapper would've been miles away.

Leaning over, she heaved, her stomach rejecting its contents quite violently. She retched again, another wave of vomit coming up all over the dry little shrubs.

Will's hand came to rest on her shoulder as she straightened up, making her turn and look directly into his red, wet eyes.

"What are we going to do?" she asked in a terrified whisper.

"I don't know," Will replied helplessly. "But we're not gonna give up. We'll get him back"


	6. 100 Days

**~ 100 Days ~**

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, brushing lightly against her face to rouse her from her rest. Her eyes barely cracked open, her mind begging her to go back to sleep, even if it was just for five minutes.

Sleep. What a joke.

Sleep was a thing of the past. How could she sleep when her baby boy was somewhere out there with no-one to protect him? They had no leads. No suspects. No significant evidence. They had been labeled as suspects, thoroughly interrogated and investigated, and cleared again, but the police were still doing their best to pin Henry's disappearance on them.

Days had turned to weeks, which had turned to months. Every day felt like they were just going through the motions of living, hoping that that day would be the day when someone burst into the room and yelled that they had found Henry.

But that moment never came.

JJ had never been religious, not even as a child. But every night since Henry had vanished, she had prayed through tears for the safe return of her firstborn. Every day was just a repeat of the last, and she felt like she was in a constant daze. While Will spent the hours making phone calls, meeting with investigators, doing everything he thought possible to try and find some shred of evidence as to what happened, she spent the hours watching Michael grow up without his brother. She had tried to throw herself into helping Will, and at first, she had wholeheartedly been behind him. But as the days wore on, the heartache grew even worse. They were still in Spain, but their little boy could've been anywhere. Despite canvassing efforts at all European airports, JJ knew how easy it was to change a child's appearance, put together fake documents, and smuggle them out of the country. She herself had seen firsthand how easy it was for criminals to keep children hidden even within the same country… and the freedom of movement across borders within the European Union was definitely not going to work to their advantage.

Rolling onto her back, JJ turned her head towards Will's side of the bed. It was empty, as it was every morning. Will hardly slept, and when he did, he came to bed after JJ and got up before the sun.

She looked back towards the ceiling, letting out a heavy breath as her eyes itched with exhaustion, her body ached with pain.

One hundred days. It had been one hundred days since that awful night that so horribly felt like yesterday. They had been the worst one hundred days of her life. Her heart ached non-stop, but she had to keep functioning for the little boy they still had. Even when it felt like she was going to crack in two from the pain.

Michael's cries began to echo through the little apartment, forcing JJ into action. She slowly pulled herself up from the bed, her joints aching as she moved across the cold tiled floor. The t-shirt she had slept in hung off her thin frame, reminding her how much weight she had lost since their ordeal had started.

"Mama, mama, mama," Michael babbled through his tears as he sat up in his crib when she walked into the room. Reaching in, JJ lifted him out, cuddling him close to her as she carried him out into the kitchen to fix him a bottle. It hadn't taken long for her to lose the ability to breastfeed after Henry had gone missing. The stress had done a complete number on her body.

In the kitchen and dining area, she found Will sitting motionless at the table, poring over notes. He looked up as she came in, absently reaching out to take Michael while she set about making a bottle.

"You get any sleep?" Will asked as JJ pulled the tin of formula towards her and grabbed a clean bottle off the dish drainer. She shrugged, popping the lid off the tin. A couple of minutes later, she was taking Michael back out of Will's arms, carrying him silently over to the couch to feed him.

Will waited until she was situated and Michael was settled with his bottle before turning to face her in his chair.

"JJ… I… I think it's time we go back home"

JJ snapped her head up to look at him, her eyes wide and bright as her heart pounded in her chest. "What? Why?"

"We're not getting any closer. We're driving ourselves into the ground. Every day we spend here, I feel like I'm winding myself tighter and tighter around the same pole. We're just… not getting anywhere"

"I'm not leaving him," JJ said in a tear filled whisper. "This is the last place we were with our son… I can't… I can't just go back without him"

Will swallowed hard, getting up from his chair and crossing the room. Slowly, he knelt down in front of JJ, bringing a hand to Michael's downy little head.

"Going home doesn't mean we give up. It means we get a new perspective… it means we fight to find Henry from the familiarity of our own surroundings," he said gently. "We don't have Henry right now… but we still have Michael. And he needs us to be the best parents we can be for him right now… and right now, I think what Michael deserves is for us to be back home with our family, with the people who can help us"

Tears tracked down JJ's cheeks as she clutched Michael even closer. "What does Henry deserve?"

"He deserves for us to fight to bring him home," Will said in a thick voice. "And I just don't think we can keep that fight going from here anymore. He's not getting the investigation he deserves"

Closing her eyes, JJ nodded once.

As much as it killed her to do it, she knew Will was right. Here, they were viewed as suspects. Here, they weren't getting the help and support they needed to find their son. At home, they would be with their loved ones who would bring the full force of every authority imaginable to locate Henry. At home, Michael would grow and learn as he deserved to.

Her heart ached at the thought of getting on a plane and leaving Spain, leaving the last place she had seen her precious first born. But her husband was right.

It was time to go home.


End file.
